Thieving tube



MaylO, 1932. F. J. FRANK r-:T AL

THIEVING TUBE Filed Feb. 5, 1951 i found desirable to test the contents of storage shown closed. 55

2h of anni and bennnnn ni the innk ni indicating ein innn @in ann an;V dink e, having nenn in 50 does not have the objections heretofore enumlower portion of the rod properly centered in "80 i UNITED srnrss PATENT oFFIca f FREDERICK J. FRANK, or ELIZABETH, AND FRANK J. sHocK, or sEcAUcUs, NEWJERSEY l,

p v p frrnrnvl-Ne'rtm1? Apniinntinn 'inea Vretrnary 5, 1931. seiiai No. 513,721.

This invention relates to an instrument dei Figure l is an elevation of the device, parts signed for testing fluids contained in tanks being broken away andthe valve beingopen. and 4other like structures and is Vcommonly Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through known as a thieving tube. It is frequently the body portion of the device, the valvebeing tanks and portable tanks containing gasoline, Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, fuel oils and .other fluidsfor the purpose of Figure 2. i ascertaining whether water, solids or other Figure 4, is an enlarged section on line objectionable substances are mixed there-v 4 4, Figure 2. I i y f i 1o with. Various devices have been employed Referring tothe gures by characters of 60 for this purpose but it has been difficult with reference, 1 designates the tubular body of any of them to obtain accurate specimens of the device. This can be madeof transparent the fluid. This hasbeen true particularly glass or it can be formed of an= opaque mawhere'specimens have been desi-red from the terial having a longitudinally extending lowermost portion of the container because transparent portion. In either case the tube b5 agitation of the fluids due to actuation of the 1s closed at its `upper end by a head2 which, instrument when brought to the desired level as shown particularly in Figure3, has a has frequently scattered the sediment with number ofl apertures 3 whereby airand liqthe result that the specimen withdrawn has uid can: flow'freely through vthe head; 'A

not accurately indicated the amount of sedi Acentralfsleeve- 4L is formed integral lwith or V70 mmm lixedly connected tothe head 2 and consti- It has also been diflicult to take accurate tutes aguide for a rod 5. This rod extends specimens of fluids at predetermined depths longitudinally within the tubular body 1 and because of the agitation set up by the inrush is provided at its lower end with a valve in means by means of which the depth at which gasket 7- of `cork or the like thereon,'this the sample is being taken can be determined. gasket being designed to bear ,against and It is an object of the present invention to 'form a sealing contact with the lower end of provide a simple but efficient device which thebody l. For thepu'rpose of holding'the erated but, on the contrary, is capable of the body 14 lateral fingers Scan be attached to trapping and withdrawing specimens from therod for sliding engagement with the-inner any predetermined level without disturbing surface of the -tubular body.

. the fluid to an objectionable extent, the with* Y @The upperend of rod y5 is provided with'a drawn specimen accurately indicating the nascrew-threaded stud 9 and this adapted to be e5 ture of the fluid in the container at the preengaged by the recessed threaded end 10 of determined level. l an extension rod ll. Any desired number of With the foregoing and other objects in these extension rods can be used and each one view which will appear as the description ofthem isiof predetermined length. Forexproceeds, the invention resides in the combiample, each of these extension rods .can be "9o nation and arrangement of parts and in the 'two feet long and byconnecting two' of them details of constructionl hereinafter described to the rod 5 said Vrod will'be elongated a and claimed, itbeingunderstood that changes 'known length, namely, four feet. Y in the precise embodiment of the invention Tothe uppermostextension rod is detachf '45 herein disclosed, may be made within the ablysecured zt-terminal' rod l2 constituting 95 scope of what is claimed, without departin a handle portion and this can be provided from the spirit of the invention. with' oppositely extending arms l-3by means In the accompanying drawings the pre- 'ofwhich' therodcan be `readily"manipuferred form of the invention has been shown. lated. y

` 5b In said drawings: MSleeve tis detachably engaged* by anv ex` :loo

tensionV sleeve 14. This is of a predetermined length and any number of sleeves can be used. If the extension rods are two feet long the extension sleeves are also to be two feet long. The uppermost extension sleeve is detachably engaged by a locking sleeve 15 having a longitudinal slot 16 extending thereinto from its upper end and terminating at its lower end in a lateral offset 17.

A pin 18 extends radially from the terminal rod 12 and is so located that when the valve is closed tight against the lower end of the tubular body 1 said pin willrest on the upper end of the .lockingsleeve 15.

As shown particularly in Figure 1the tubullf' 199515? can he graduated in the direction oiiits length, the graduations 19 being used to indicate units( of measure such as inches fractions thereof.

When it is V'desired to ascertain whether' there is any sediment in the body of a tank a suflicient number of extension rods 1l and sleeves 1dv areV ycoupled together to allow the lower end of the device to belowered to the bottom ofthe container holding the vHuid to be testedt Rod 12 is shifted longitudinally with pin 18 in slotlG and is then given a pare tial rotation to seat the pin 18 in offset 17. rLhus thefvalve 6; will be held open as shown in Figure 1 7. The device can then be lowered carefully into the container until the valve cornes in, Contact with the bottom thereof. As the tubular body 1 is lowered through the liquid free flow of said liquid through the having a transparent portion, an open lower end and an apertured upper. end, a. sleeve fixedly connected to. the upper cud of thebody,

rod sldabgle therein and projectingthere.-

abo.ve, and a valve et the, lower end of the rod tor'engegement by the.. louer-v end otY the body to, close.' said end, said. sleeve. and rod each including detachably connected sections., there being cooperating means. on one; ofthe sections o ftlie .sleeve and. one civ the. .sections of the rod for lookingl the valve in Sealing Contact with the open end Ot the body-'orf i151 spaced. relation, to said body- Y Y Y' In. testi-infocrthet We claire, the foregoing our. own; ue, have. hereto. eiiixed. our Siguetufeev FRANK:

FRANK, L

apertured capZ isl permitted so that the minimum disturbance of the fluid will be produced. rillus when the device reaches the bottom of the tank the fluid will be practically quiet and the sediment undisturbed. With the partsgtliugslocated the user turns the pin 15H8. out` Ofro'set 17 and then moves the locking sleeve i5, of the body l downwardly onto gasket ZX This will cut off from thev surrouriding fluid that portion above the. valve. Eollowing this operation and while the. pin 1 8tis restingv on theend of sleeve 15 the device isv lifted from the tank and byinspecting the Y contents of bodyl it is possible to determine accurately the depth of sediment and the grades. or' fluids thereabove.v

Should itA be` desired to inspect iuids at a predetermined point above the bottom of the containerV the `device is opened as shown .in Figure 1 and then lowered into the container until, by means ofthe extension sleeves 1d it 'can be determined whenr the body portion. k1 has reached the point from which a specimen is to, be removed. At that time the rod 1;2 is held firmly while sleeve 15 is rotatedl until pin 118. is removed from offset 17.. 'Bhe sleeve is then lowered and will promptly trapJ a sample of the liquid after which the valve. can be locked as in Figure 2v and the specimen withdrawn and inspected. @This device ieverv'sirrlplein construction,

. (moi 

